Discharge and closure device for a container



May 8, 1962 P. s. VAN BAARN 3,033,428

DISCHARGE AND CLCSURE DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER Filed Oct. 3l, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 26 F/G. [lill-m0,

E a M /l-And (Peb May 8, 1962 P. s. VAN BAARN 3,033,428

DISCHARGE AND CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER Filed Oct. 3l. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F /G 5 F/G. 6

INVENTOR. pak( s /dlr 62am May 8, 1962 P. S. VAN BAARN DISCHARGE AND CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER Filed Oct. 5l. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR PAUL S. VAN BAARN ATTORNEY United Statesv Patent Oice Patented May 8, 1962 3,033,428 DISCHARGE AND CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER Paul S. Van Baarn, Paris, France Filed Oct. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 770,968 Claims. (Cl. 222-513) The present invention relates to closure and discharge arrangements for containers.

This application is a continuation-inpart of my copending application Serial No. 527,383, filed August 9, 1955, and entitled Containers andAClosures Therefor, now U.S. Patent 2,886,219.

Certain types of containers are provided with closure members which can be pressed into a closing position by a suitable cap member. Where the container contains a liquid or pasty material whichV is to be dispensed therefrom, it sometimes happens that the closure member sticks and does not readily open the container to allow material to be dispensed therefrom. Also, it very often happens that a part of the contents of the container remains at the exterior thereof and becomes lost whenever the container is closed.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a discharge and closure arrangement for a container which is capable of guaranteeing that the closure member of the container will not stick and will reliably open whenever desired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure of the above type which will guarantee that no fluid will remain at the exterior of the container when the latter is closed, so that wastage is reliably prevented.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a structure of the above type which is exceedingly simple and inexpensive as well as reliable in operation.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a structure which can be used with all types of containers irrespective of the material of which it is made.

With the above objects in View the present invention includes in a discharge and closure arrangement for a container, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container, and an inner .tubular means connected to and communicating with the container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion. This inner tubular means has an annular surface directed away from the interior of the container portion, and a closure member is provided with an annular surface facing and substantially coaxial with the annular surface of the inner tubular means. A yieldable means yielda-bly maintains the closure member in an open position where its annular surface is displaced from the annular surface of the tubular means. An outer tubular means is axially slidable on the inner tubular means between open and closed positions and has a fluid-tight engagement with the inner tubular means, this outer tubular means being formed with an opening through which the material moves to the exterior of the container. This outer tubular means, when it is moved to its closed position. moves the closure member against the force of the yieldable means to a closed position where the annular surface of the closure member engages the annular surface of the inner tubular means for closing the latter. The yieldable means cooperates with one of the above tubular means as well as with the closure member for returning the latter to its open position when the outer tubular means is moved to its open position.

The novel features which areconsidered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, to-

gether with additional objects and advantages thereof,

will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a fragmentary partly sectional elevational view of a container provided with the closure and discharge arrangement of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational View taken along line 2 2 of FIG. l in the direction of the arrows, the outer tubular means of FIG. l being omitted from FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 3 shows the structure of FIG. l with the parts in their container closing position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of another embodiment of a structure of the invention also with the outer tubular means omitted for the sake of clarity and to clearly illustrate the position which parts take when the outer tubular means is not present;

FIG. 5 shows still another embodiment of a structure according to the present invention, the structure being shown in IG. 5 in its closed position;

' FlG. 6 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of a part of the outer tubular means of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken along line 7*-7 of Fl G. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the closure member of the present invention;

FiG. 9 is a fragmentary partly sectional elevational View showing another embodiment of a closure member according to the present invention; and

FIGlO is a fragmentary partly sectional elevational view of still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings and to FIGS. 1-3, 7 and 8 in particular, it .will be seen thatv the structure of the invention is associated with a container having a portion lll (FIG. l) to which the structure of the invention is connected. This container is adapted to contain any material such as liquid or pasty materials which are to be dispensed from the interior of the container whe the container is inverted, for example.

The structure of the invention includes an inner tubulaimeans 11 which in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 is rigid and made, for example, of glass, the same. material as the remainder of the container, this inner tubular means 11 forming theneck of the container and also providing for the discharge of the material from the interior of the container.v An outer tubular means 12 is axially slidable on the inner tubular means 11, and this outer tubular means l2l is made of any resilient plastic, such as polyethylene, for example. The inner tubular means 11 is provided adjacent lits bottom end with an annular shoulder 13 over which the Vinner annular projection 14 of the outer tubular means 12 is snapped when the tubular means 12 is first assembled with the inner tubular means 11, so that the outer tubular means 12 forms a captive cap which can be moved axially along the tubular means 11 between the positions indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3, `which are respectively the open and closed positions, but the cap 12 cannot be moved upwardly beyond the position indicated in FlG. l due to thecooperation of the shoulder 13 with the shoulder 14, as disclosed in the above referred-to application, 4

The'inner tubular means 1-1 is formedwith threads 15' which cooperate with threads 16 of the outer tubular means 12, so that lwhen the latter is turned the threads cooperate to move the outer tubular means 12 axially.-

spaans In the illustrated example where the tubular means 11 is made of a rigid material such as glass, a plastic tubular insert 17, which also forms part of the inner tubular means, is located in the upper portion of the neck 11 of the container 10 so that the parts 17 and 11 form together a tubular means having an inner shoulder formed by the bottom end of the insert 17. This insert 17 may also be made of polyethylene, for example, although any other resilient plastic material such as polystyrene, nylon, rubber, or the like may be used. As may be seen from FIG. 2, when the insert 17 is not engaged by the inner surface of the outer tubular means 12, this insert 17 has at its top end an annular lip 18 made of the same resilient plastic material as the remainder of the insert 17, formed integral therewith, and extending outwardly beyond the outer surface of the inner tubular means 11, 17, as indicated in FIG. 2. As a result, when the outer tubular means 12 is assembled with the structure shown in FIG. 2, the lip 13 will press due to its own resiliency against the inner surface of the outer tubular means 12 to provide a uid-tight engagement with the latter so that any iiuid located within the outer tubular means 12 above the insert 17 cannot ow downwardly beyond the lip 1S thereof to become located at the threads 15 and 16, so that these threads are always out of contact with the contents of the container. The insert `17 provides the tubular means 11, 17 at its top end with an annular surface 19 which is directed away from the interior of the container portion 10 and which participates in the opening and closing of the container in a manner described below.

The structure of the invention includes an elongated closure member 20 which is also made of a resilient plastic material such as nylon, rubber, polystyrene, and the like. In the actual construction of the closure member 20 it is preferred to make the latter of polyethylene. This closure member 20 includes a plurality of longitudinal fins 21 which intersect each other in the manner shown most clearly in FIGS. 7 and which extend along the interior of the tubular means 11, 17 to cooperate with the latter for guiding the closure member 20 for axial movement between the open position illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 and the closed position illustrated in FIG. 3. This closure member 2) is provided at its top end with a top wall 23 extending across and integral with the tins 21, and this top wall 23 is formed with an outwardly directed annular flange 24 yhaving a downwardly directed annular surface 24 which is substantially coaxial with and faces the annular surface 19 to cooperate with the latter in a manner described below. In the open position of the parts illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 the annular surface 24' is displaced upwardly from the annular surface 19.

A yieldable means is provided to cooperate with the closure member 20 in order to yieldably maintain the same in the open position thereof illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in accordance with the present invention this yieldable means is in the form of a pair of diametrically opposed spiingy lingers 25 integral with the top wall 23 of the member 20, having arms extending radially beyond the ange 24, and then having arms which extend from the radial arms downwardly toward and into engagement with the annular surface 19, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. Thus, these springy fingers 25 urge the closure member 20 upwardly to the open position thereof illustrated in FIGS. lV and 2, and a pair of the tins 21 which are located in a common plane are respectively provided with shoulders 22 which cooperate with the shoulder formed by the bottom end of the insert 17 to limit the upward movement of the closure member 20 to its open position, so that the shoulder 22 cooperates with the bottom end of the insert 1 7 to form a limiting means which limits the movement of the closure member 20 from its closed toward its open position.

As is apparent from FIGS, l and 3, the outer tubular means 12 extends beyond the inner tubular means 11, 17 and is provided beyond the closure member 20 with an end wall 26 formed with an opening 27 through which the material from the interior of the container moves after having passed beyond the inner tubular means 11, 17 and around the top wall 23 of the closure member 20, when the latter is in its open position. When the outer tubular means `12 is moved from the open position thereof shown in FIG. l to the closed position thereof shown in FIG. 3 the top wall 26 thereof will engage the top wall 23 of the closure member 20 to move the latter downwardly against the force of the yieldable means 25 so as to locate the closure member 20 in a closed position where the annular surface 24' thereof is in engagement with the annular surface 19 of the insert 17 so as to tightly close the container, and the parts are shown in this position in FIG. 3. Of course at this time the threads :15 and 16 cooperate with each other to hold the parts in the closed position shown in FIG. 3. The configuration of the closure member 20 as seen from above is indicated in FIG. 8.

It will be noted that with the structure of the invention, even if the material in the container happens to be a sticky liquid or paste, the closure member 20 will not stick to the insert 17 when the outer tubular means 12 is moved from its closed to its open position, because the resilient force of the yieldable means 25 will reliably raise the closure member 20 up to its open position indicated in FIGS. l and 2. Furthermore, it will be noted that when the parts have the position shown in FIG. l, any of the material of the container which happens to be above the insert 7 within the outer tubular means 12 can simply flow back into the interior of the container, so that there is no possibility of closing the container while maintaining some of the contents at the exterior of the container to be wasted.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FiG. 4 the inner tubular means 30 is made of a resilient plastic material, so that with this embodiment there is no necessity for a plastic insert similar to the tubular insert 17 described above in connection with FIGS. 1-3. This tubular means 30 has an integral lip 31 at its top end which is of the same construction as and which functions in the same way as the lip 18 dcscribed above. Otherwise the embodiment of FIG. 4 is identical with that of FIGS. 1 3, 7 and 8.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an embodiment of the invention Where the inner tubular means is rigid in the same way as the tubular means 11 referred to above. Thus, the inner tubular means of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 may be made of glass, for example. However, in this embodiment aiso there is not a separate insert 17 as was the case with the embodiment of FIGS. l-3, 7 and 8. In the embodiment of FIG. 5 the rigid inner tubular means has at its top end an inwardly directed flange 33 providing the inner tubular means with the annular surface 34 which is directed away from the interior of the container and which cooperates with the annular surface 24 of the closure member 2G in the same way that the surface 19 cooperates with the surface 24', as described above.

The outer tubular means 32 of FIGS. 5 and 6 is made of the same material as and has the same construction as the outer tubular means 12 described above, except for the fact that the outer tubular means 32 is provided at its interior with an annular flexible lip 35, as shown most clearly in FIG. 6. This lip 35 will slidably and fluid-tightly engage the exterior surface of the inner tubular means of FIG. 5 so as to provide the fluid-tight engagementV between the inner and outer tubular means, and thus with the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6 a sepa-- rate insert 17 is unnecessary. Otherwise the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 is the same as that of FIC-S. 1-3 and operates in the same way. The lip 35 is integral with and is made of the same resilient plastic material as the remainder of the outer tubular means 32, and in order to provide an increased resiliency for the lip 35 the outer tubular means 32. is formed at its inner surface with a s pair of annular grooves 36 between which the lip 35 is located in the manner shown most clearly in FIG, 6. It will be noted that this lip 35 is of a substantially V-shaped cross section and tapers to a sharp edge.

lt will be noted that when the outer tubular means of any of the embodiments of the invention is moved from its open to its closed position, it advances not only axially along the inner tubular means but it also turns with respect thereto, and when the top wall 26 engages the closure member 20, the latter also turns. As .a result the upper radial arm of each resilient finger 25 forms a turning axis for the downwardly extending axial arm thereof, and while the closure member is turning and moving down to its closed position the axial arm. of each springy linger turns with respect to the insert 17 and trails the radial arm while turning with respect to the latter until when the parts are in the closed position shown in iG. 3 the vertical arms of members 25 shown in FIG. 2 become located in the same plane as the flange 24 and lie along the surface 19.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 9, the structure is identical with that of FIG. 1-3 except for the closure member. Instead of a closure member 20 as described above, the embodiment of FIG. 9 includes a closure member itl having a conical body portion 41 made of .a resilient plastic material such as polyethylene, and this body 41 is integral with a pair of opposed yieldable means 43 which are identical with the yieldable means and which cooperate the same way with the insert 1'7 to move the closure member ttl to its open position illustrated in FlG. 9. When the outer tubular means is moved downwardly to its closed position, its top wall 26 engages the top end of the closure member 4i? to move the latter downwardly against the force of the yieldable means 43 until the annular surface 42 of the member 4t) engages the surface l of the inser i7 so as to fluid-tightly close the container in the manner described above. Y

A metal elongated member 44 is embedded within the body 41 and extends downwardly therefrom in the manner shown in FIG. 9, this member 44 having at its bottom end a pair of oppositely directed curved portions which cooperate with the bottom end of the insert 17 to limit the movement of the closure member di) to its open position.

When the closure member 4() is assembled with the structure shown in FIG. 9, the members 45 which are resilient and springy yield until they snap beneath the insert 17, and then they cooperate with the latter to limit the movement of the closure member 40 to the open position illustrated in FIG. 9. ln the same way, the fins 21 of the closure member 2li are capable of resiliently yielding during introduction of these ns into the inner tubular means 1l, 17, and as soon as the shoulders 22 become located beneath the bottom end of the insert 17, these ns snap back to the position indicated in FIGS. l-3 so as to retain the closure member within the insert 17, and thus it is very easy to assemble the components of the embodiment of FIGS. l-3 or the components of the embodiment of FIG. 9. With the embodiment of FIG. 9 the body 4t) may have the lower conical portion to which the member 44 is iixedly connected as well as an upper rusto conical portion having an opposite inclination to the lower conical portion, as illustrated in FIG. 9, and having a top surface of a larger diameter than ythe opening 27 and substantially coaxial with the latter so that the inner periphery of the top wall 26 of the outer tubular means 12 will engage the top surface of the member 4l? to move the latter toits closed position where the annular surface 42 engages the surface 19 of the insert 17, and of course this closure member 40 will turn while it is moved to its closed position so that the/vertical arms 6 of the yieldable means 43 will turn with respect to their horizontal arms to eventually become located in the same plane as these horizontal arms lying against the surface 19 when the closure member Litl is in its closed position.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. l() is the same as that of FG. 1 except that the closure member 2.6 of FIG. l0 has a top conical projection 50 formed integrally therewith. Also, the closure member 29 has a conical portion 51 integral with the top ends of the tins 2l. The tubular means l2 of FIG. 10 is substantially the same as that of FIG. 1 and cooperates in the same way with the closure member 20', the tubular means i2 differing from the tubular means 12 only in that it has a hollow conical top end 52 formed at its apex with a discharge opening 53. Thus, when the structure is in the open position of FIG. l0 the contents of the container will liow out through the opening 53, while when the structure is in its closed position the closure member 26 will be pressed downwardly against the surface '119 to close the container in the same way aS the closure member 2t), and in addition the top end of projection Sti will 'close the outlet 53.

It will be understoodthat each of the elements 'described above, or two or more together, may also nd a useful application in other types of containers and closures therefor differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in discharge and closure arrangements for containers, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in anyI way from the spiri of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will s0 fully reveal the gist 'of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications' without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or speciiic aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A discharge and closure arrangement for a con#- tainer, comprising, in combination, tubular discharge means having an inner end adapted to be connected to the container and an opposite outer end, said tubular discharge means also having an annular face directed away from said inner end thereof; a closure member having an annular closure face substantially coaxial with and facing said annular face of said tubular discharge means and said closure member being rmovable with respect to said tubular discharge means between a discharge position where said closure face is spaced from said annular face of said tubular discharge means and a closed position where said annular closure face presses against said annular face of said tubular discharge means; yieldable spacing means permanently tending to move said closure member from said closed into said open position thereof and to maintain it in said open position; and moving means cooperating with said tubular discharge means and said closure member for moving the latter from its open into its closed position against the action of said yieldable spacing means whenever desired.

2. A discharge and closure arrangement for a container, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; inner tubular means connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion, said inner tubular means having an annular surface directed away from the interior of said container portion; a closure member having an annular surface facing and substantially coaxial with said annular surface of said tubular means; a yieldable means yieldably maintaining said closure member in an open position with said annular surface thereof displaced from said annular surface of said tubular means; and outer tubular means axially slidable on said inner tubular means between open and closed positions and having a fluid-tight engagement with said inner tubular means, said outer tubular means being formed with an opening through which the material moves to the exterior of the container, and said outer tubular means, when it is moved to its closed position, moving said closure member against the force of said yieldable means to a closed position where said annular surface of said closure member engages said annular surface of said inner tubular means for closing the latter, said yieldable means cooperating with one of said tubular means as well as with said closure member for returning the latter to its open position when said outer tubular means is moved to its open position.

3. A discharge and closure arrangement for a container, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; inner tubular means connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion, said inner tubular means having an annular surface directed away from the interior of said container portion; a closure member having an annular surface facing and substantially coaxial with said annular surface of said tubular means; a yieldable means yieldably maintaining said closure member in an open position with said annular surface thereof displaced from said annular surface of saidy tubular means; and outer tubular means axially slidable on said inner tubular means between open and closed positions and having a fluid-tight engagement with said inner tubular means, said outer tubular means extending beyond said inner tubular means and being formed beyond the latter with an opening through which the material moves to the exterior of the container, and said outer tubular means, when it is moved to its closed position, moving said closure member against the force of said yieldable means to a closed position where said annular surface of said closure member engages said annular surface of said inner tubular means for closing the latter, said yieldable means cooperating with one of said tubular means as well as with said closure member for returning the latter to its open position when said outer tublular member is moved to its open position.

4. A discharge and closure arrangement for a container, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; inner tubular means connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion, said inner tubular means having an annular surface directed away from the interior of said container portion; a closure member having an annular surface facing and substantially coaxial with said annular surface of said tubular means; a yieldable means yieldably maintaining said closure member in an open position with said annular surface thereof displaced from said annular surface of said tubular means; outer tubular means axially slidable on said inner tubular means between open and closed positions and having a fluidtight engagement with said inner tubular means, said outer tubular means being formed with an opening through which the material moves to the exterior of the container, and said outer tubular means, when it is moved to its closed position, moving said closure member against the force of said yieldable means to a closed position where said annular surface of said closure member engages said annular surface of said inner tubular means for closing the latter, said yieldable means cooperating with one of said tubular means as well as with said closure member for returning the latter to its open position when said outer tubular means is moved to its open position; and limiting means cooperating with said closure member and one of said tubular means for limiting the movement of said closure member from its closed to its open position so as to limit the distance between said annular surfaces when said closure member is in its open position.

5. A discharge and closure arrangement for a container, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; inner tubular means connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion, said inner tubular means having an annular surface directed away from the interior of said container portion; a closure member having an annular surface facing and substantially coaxial with said annular surface of said tubular means; a yieldable means yieldably maintaining said closure member in an open position with said annular surface thereof displaced from said annular surface of said tubular means; and outer tubular means axially slidable on said inner tubular means between open and closed positions and having a uidtight engagement with said inner tubular means, said outer tubular means being formed with an opening through which the material moves to the exterior of the container, and said outer tubular means, when it is moved to its closed position, moving said closure member against the force of said yieldable means to a closed position where said annular surface of said closure member engages said annular surface of said inner tubular means for closing the latter, said yieldable means returning said closure member to its open position when said outer tubular means is moved to its open position.

6. A discharge and closure arrangement for a container, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; inner tubular means connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion, said inner tubular means having an annular surface directed away from the interior of said container portion; a closure member having an annular surface facing and substantially coaxial with said annular surface of said tubular means; a yieldable means yieldably maintaining said closure member in an open position with said annular surface thereof displaced from said annular surface of said tubular means; and outer tubular means axially slidable on said inner tubular means between open and closed positions and having an inner side surface in slidable engagement with an outer side surface of said inner tubular means, one of said side surfaces having an elastic annular portion pressing against the other of said side surfaces to provide fluid-tight engagement between said inner and outer tubular means, said outer tubular means extending beyond said inner tubular means and being formed beyond the latter with an opening through which the material moves to the exterior of the container, and said outer tubular means, when it is moved to its closed position, moving said closure member against the force of said yieldable means to a closed position where said annular surface of said closure member engages said annular surface of said inner tubular means for closing the latter, said yieldable means cooperating with one of said tubular means as Well as with said closure member for returning the latter to its open position when said outer tubular means is moved to its open position.

'7. A discharge and closure arrangement for a container, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; inner tubular means connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion, said inner tubular means having an outer end distant from said container portion and provided with an annular surface directed away from the interior of said container portion; an elongated closure member having a plurality of longitudinally extending ns axially movable in said inner tubular means and extending beyond said outer end thereof, said closure member having beyond said inner tubular means an outwardly directed annular flange provided with an annular surface facing and substantially coaxial with said annular surface at said outer end of said tubular means; yieldable means yieldably maintaining said closure member in an open position with said annular surface thereof displaced from said annular surface of said tubular means; and outer tubular means axially slidable on said inner tubular means between open and closed positions and having a Huid-tight engagement with said inner tubular means, said outer tubular means extending beyond said outer end of said inner tubular means and surrounding with substantial clearance said flange of said closure member, said outer tubular means being formed beyond said inner tubular means and said closure memberwith an opening through which the material moves to the exterior of the container and said outer tubular means, when it is moved to its closed position, moving said closure member against the force of said yieldable means to a closed position where said annular surface of said closure member engages said annular surface of said inner tubular means for closing the latter, said yieldable means cooperating with one of said tubular means as well as with said closure member for returning the latter to its open position when said outer tubular means is moved to its open position.

8. A discharge and closure arrangement for a container, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; inner tubular means connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion, said inner tubular means having an outer end distant from said container portion and being provided at said outer end with an annular surface directed away from the interior of the container portion, said inner tubular means having in its interior an inner shoulder directed toward the interior of said container portion; an elongated closure member having a plurality of longitudinally extending fins located in said inner tubular means for axial movement therein, at least one of said tins having a shoulder directed toward said shoulder of said inner tubular means to engage the latter shoulder for limiting the movement of said closure member outwardly of said inner tubular means, and said closure member having beyond said outer end of said inner tubular means an outwardly directed annular flange provided with an annular surface directed toward said annular surface at said outer end of said inner tubular means; yieldable means yieldably maintaining said closure member in an open position with said annular surface thereof displaced from said annular surface of said tubular means and with said shoulder of said one fin engaging said shoulder of said inner tubular means; and outer tubular means axially slidable on said inner tubular means between open and closed positions and having a fluid-tight engagement with said inner tubular means, said outer tubular means extending beyond said inner tubular means and surrounding with substantial clearance said flange of said closure member, and said outer tubular means being formed beyond said inner tubular means and said closure member with an opening through which the material moves to the exterior of the container, said outer tubular means, when it is moved to its closed position, moving said closure member against the force of said yieldable means to a closed position where said annular surface of said closure member engages said annular surface of said inner tubular means for closing the latter, said yieldable means cooperating with one of said tubular means as well as with said closure member for returning the latter to its open position when said outer tubular means is moved to its open position.

9. A discharge and closure arrangement for containers, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; a rigid discharge tube connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage for the material which is dispensed from the container portion; a tubular insert of'resilient flexible material carried by said rigid tube at an outer end portion thereof distant from said container portion and having at the outer end of said rigid tube an annular surface directed away from the interior of the container portion and an outwardly directed flexible annular lip; an elongated closure member having a plurality of longitudinal fins extending axially through said insert and having beyond said annular surface of said insert an outwardly directed annular flange provided with an annular surface directed toward and facing said annular surface of said insert, and said closure member having integral with said ilange at least one springy linger extending from said flange toward said annular surface of said insert and having a free end engaging said annular surface of said insert for yieldably maintaining said closure member in an open position where said annular surface of said closure member is displaced from said annular surface of said insert; and an outer tubular member axially slidable on said rigid tube and having an inner surface against which said lip presses to provide a fluid-tight engagement between said outer tubular member and said insert, said outer tubular member extending beyond said insert, surrounding said flange with clearance, and being formed beyond said closure member with an opening through which material moves to the exterior of the container, said outer tubular member having an end wall portion which engages said closure member during movement of said outer tubular member to a closed position toward said container portion for moving said closure member against the force of said l springy finger to a closed position where said annular surface of said closure member engages said annular surface of said insert, said outer tubular member, when it is moved to an open position where said end wall thereof is spaced from said closuremember, releasing said closure member to the force of said springy finger which returns said closure member to its open position.

10. A discharge and closure arrangement for a container, comprising, in combination, a container portion adapted to contain material which is to be dispensed from the container; an elongated tube of flexible resilient material connected to and communicating with said container portion and forming a discharge passage therefor, said tube having distant from said container portion an outer end provided with an annular surface directed away from the interior of said container portion and also provided with an outwardly directed annular lip; an elongated closure member having a plu-rality of fins extending axially along the interior of said tube, said closure member having beyond the latter an outwardly directed annular flange provided with an annular surface directed toward said annular surface of said tube, and said closure member having integral with said flange at least one springy finger extending from said flange toward said annular surface of said tube and having a free end in engagement with said annular surface of said tube for maintaining said flange displaced from said tube to locate said closure mem-ber in an open position; and an outer tube axially slidable on said first-mentioned -tube and having an inner surface engaged by said lip to provide a huid-tight engagement between said tubes, said outer tube being movable between open and closed positions and extending beyond said rst-mentioned tube and surrounding said ange of said closure member with substantial clearance, said outer tube having beyond said closure member an end wall formed with an the container and said outer tube, when it is moved to a 1 1 closed position along said first-mentioned tube toward said container portion engaging with its end wall against said closure member to move the latter against the force of said springy finger to a closed position where said annular surfaces engage each other, said outer tube when it is returned to an open position where said end wall thereof is displaced from said closure member releasing the latter to said spring iinger which returns said closure member to its open position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,582,026 Friedman Jan. 8, 1952 2,585,381 Gronemeyer et al Feb. 12, 1952 2,621,832 Friedman Dec. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 184,866 Austria Mar. 10, 1956 562,704 Germany Oct. 28, 1932 

